Breathe
by The SoulEater Alchemist
Summary: "Breathe. Just keep breathing and we'll call it even." Ed nearly drowned. Roy was able to save him in time. But now, with a new enemy out for vengeance and blood, and Ed's memory gone, will they be able to fight back. "You don't always have to be strong. You have me here. You can lean on me." Parental Roy/Ed fluff! NON-YAOI
1. Just Keep Breathing

_**Hello again! I am back with another one-shot! :) I hope you like it!**_

_**This is inspired by the song, 'Breathe' by 'Superchick'! It's an amazing song that you should definitely check out! :D**_

_**Disclaimer**__**: ...**_

_**Roy: *sigh* The SoulEater Alchemist refuses to admit that she DOES NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!**_

_**Me: *glares* You're so cruel!...**_

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><p>Ed grimaced as a sharp pain ran up his leg when he walked. He glared up at the cloudy sky as rain continued to pour down on them, soaking them to the bone.<p>

Fullmetal, are you okay?" Ed looked ahead to where his superior, Roy Mustang was walking with his shoulders hunched against the merciless rain and wind. Ed gave a sharp nod.

"I'm fine." He said between clenched teeth. Roy raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more on the subject.

"We're here." Roy said as they neared a large, fancy-looking house. They stopped just outside the front gate. Roy turned to fix Ed with a stern gaze.

"As you already know, we're here to just investigate _undercover_. The man who lives here is a suspected drug dealer by the name of Sam Heckel. Be on your guard. He's also been said to kill those who get in the way, so don't be reckless!" He said. Ed nodded impatiently. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be careful." He promised. Roy eyed him warily before nodding.

"Good." He said.

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><p>Roy knocked loudly on the front door. Not long after, a tall portly man opened the door. He had a thick beard and short, white hair. He was very tall and muscular. Upon seeing them, his red eyes narrowed. Roy's heart thundered in his chest. <em>Red eyes!<em>

"What do you want?" The man asked. Roy cleared his throat.

"My son and I heard you could sell us some drugs. You see, it's been hard for us to cope ever since my wife died." He replied, gesturing to himself and Ed. The man's expression softened.

"I know how it feels." He said. He held out his hand to Roy.

"My name is Sam Heckel." He introduced. Roy shook his large hand and smiled.

"I'm Roy Aeron. And this is Ed." He said, using their fake last names. Sam nodded his acknowledgement and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He gestured for the two to follow him as he made his way around the back of the house. He led them to a small lake where a boat sat waiting in the water.

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><p>"I do it on the lake to avoid suspicion." He explained to them as he helped them both onto the boat. Ed's eyes flickered nervously to the wild, churning waters below, before carefully stepping on.<p>

Sam directed them to the front of the baot where a small table sat unsteadily. Roy had to squint his eyes to see through the heavy rain. They walked over to the table. Ed adjusted his sopping wet gloves slightly, briefly revealing a section of his automail. He was about to drop his arm to his side when a large hand wrapped around his metal wrist. Ed looked up to see Sam glaring down at him, his gaze so full of hate.

"Golden eyes, golden hair, automail limbs. Do you really think I'm that stupid, Fullmetal Alchemist?" He said as he pointed a small pistol at Roy.

"And you, the infamous Flame Alchemist, Hero of Ishval." He spat venomously.

"If either of you move, I'll shoot." He threatened. Then he turned to glare at Roy.

"My people were a proud race, and then you and the rest of the military came and killed them. I fought alongside a young man. His name was Frenzel Turner. Perhaps you remeber him? He was a good kid. He was like a son to me, and you killed him with your blasted flames!" He shouted furiously. He moved his gun and pressed it to Ed's temple.

"Perhaps I'll do the same for you." He said. Roy's eyes widened. He raised his fingers and poised to snap. Sam laughed.

"Ha! You can't make a spark in this rain!" He cackled. Roy glared at him.

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><p>"Let. Him. Go! It's me you want." He growled. He reached slowly to his belt, where a gun was strpped beneath his coat. He hoped and prayed to anyone who would listen, that Sam didn't notice. Sam was oblivious. But he was grinning like a mad man, making Roy's heart flutter nervously.<p>

"Fine, I'll let the kid go..." He said, and before anyone could react, he shoved Ed over the side of the boat into the churning waves.

"EDWARD!" Roy shouted as he whipped out his gun. Sam was to busy staring at the water, grinning widely, to notice as Roy pointed it at him.

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><p><em><strong>BANG!<strong>_

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><p>Sam's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he looked down at his chest. His shirt stained crimson. He looked back up at Roy.<p>

"Still a murdering dog." He said, before his eyes rolled back into his head. He fell back into the water, his blood turning the waves crimson. Roy looked over the side of the boat, hoping to see Ed swimming to the surface. Then realization hit him. His automail! His automail would weigh him down, until...

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><p>Quickly Roy stripped himself of his heavy coat. Without another moments pause, he jumped into the cold water. He nearly cried out in shock at the frigid cold that sunk into his bones. He shivered and looked around the water frantically. It was so dark! Red filled his vision from the blood. Then he saw a dark form sinking to the bottom of the lake. <em>'Ed!'<em> Roy pumped his legs and arms hard, propelling him towards the small boy. From here, he could see Ed thrashing frantically, trying to get back to the surface, but it was useless. His automail continued to drag him down to the bottom.

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><p>Panic rose in his chest as he saw the boy go limp. He pushed harder through the water. Finally he reached him. Ed had just hit the bottom. Roy reached out and wrapped an arm around Ed's waist. He pulled. But he couldn't move him.<p>

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><p><em>'Just leave him, he's as good as dead.'<em> Roy shook his head furiously. He couldn't! He wouldn't! He reached out and ripped the sleeve of Ed's jacket, revealing the steel underneath it. He vaguely remembered Ed telling him how to take it off. His numb fingers fumbled for the metal catch. Finally he managed to pull it. The arm popped out of the port. Roy shuddered. He knew it wasn't real, but it felt weird pulling off Ed's arm. He shook it off.

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><p>He pulled again. He strained hard and managed to swim to the surface. He gasped as his head broke through the water. He pulled Ed up, being sure to keep his head above the water. He paddled to the boat, and hefted Ed's limp body up over the side. Roy leaned over him. His face was pale and his lips were tinted blue. Roy put his ear to Ed's chest. There wasn't any movement. He wasn't breathing, his heart wasn't beating...<p>

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><p>Without wasting any time, Roy put his hands on the boy's small chest and pushed five times. Then he leaned over his partially open mouth and forced air into his frail lungs. He repeated this process over and over again.<p>

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><p>"C'mon Ed! Wake up! You can't die here! What about Al? What about Winry? And the team! What will they do if you die here. What about me? You can't die! I wouldn't ever forgive you!" Roy shouted, hoping to get the boy to open his eyes. He could feel tears streaming down his face, but he didn't care. He didn't care that he was being weak. All he cared about right now was Ed.<p>

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><p>Five minutes had passed, and still his golden eyes hadn't opened. Roy cried out. His voice was filled with the sadness, the agony of losing yet another person close to him. He wrapped his arms around Ed and drew his cold body to his chest. More tears spilled from his eyes as he buried his face into Ed's wet hair.<p>

"Ed, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't s-save you. I-I..." He drew in a deep breath.

"You h-had been l-l-like a s-son... to me." He said quietly. He closed his eyes, knowing it was ridiculous that he was talking to a dead body. But he just couldn't accept it.

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><p>Ed had always been an annoying brat, but Roy had seen the strength and determination in his eyes. The commitment to his brother. His compassion to those who needed help. Roy had never liked to see him hurt on his missions. He had always felt worried for him, concerned for his well-being. He'd felt some sort of connection. And it wasn't till now that he realized what that connection was. He had seen Ed and Al as his "sons". He'd been trying to give them something they'd lost long ago. A father. And now, he felt the overwelming sense of grief having lost a child. <em>His<em> child.

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><p>"Geez Mustang. Y-you sound s-s-so heartfelt..." Roy nearly jumped. He looked down at Ed with wide eyes. Two familiar gold eyes stared back at him. His breath caught in his throat.<p>

"E-Ed!" He exclaimed. Ed's eyes began to droop as his exhaustion and fatigue caught up with him. Roy wrapped his arms tighter around Ed. Almost protectively.

"Th-thanks, for not giving u-u-up on me." Ed murmured quietly.

"I-I owe you... one... _Dad_." He said as his eyes finally closed, a small smile on his face. Roy sat there for a while, just watching as Ed's small chest rose and fell. It was a comforting sight. Roy smiled softly as he slipped a hand under Ed's back and knees. He lifted him up carefully.

"Breathe. Just keep breathing and I'll call it even." He said.

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><p><em><strong>Ok, so I'm not overly fond with how this one turned out, but oh well! I hope you liked it! :)<strong>_


	2. Remembering

_**Holy crap, guys! I can't believe I actually got feedback! :) **_

_**Thank you to those who reviewed! Most of you guys wanted another chapter, so here it is! I hope you like it! I'll try my best to make it worthy of being read by all you awesome people! :D **_

_**I don't know much about medical stuff so I apologize in advance if it's inaccurate or if I make some mistakes.**_

_**Disclaimer**__**: *sigh* I absolutely refuse to say **_**it!**

_**Ed: *eye roll* She doesn't own FMA or the characters.**_

_**Me: Traitor!**_

_**Al: Umm... Onto the story?...**_

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><p>Roy sat impatiently in the waiting room. He had been waiting for only ten minutes, but already it felt like he'd been there for hours. While he waited, his mind raced. He didn't know much about the human body, but he knew that Ed had been without air for too long for him to be okay. But thinking that only set Roy even more on edge than he already was. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Oh, how he hated this place! He didn't have time to sit around doing nothing! He needed to know if Ed would be alright!<p>

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><p>Finally a doctor stepped into the room. He looked around the room and asked in a squeaky voice, "Who's here for Edward Elric?"<p>

Instantly, Roy hurried over to the doctor. The doctor took a startled step back. He cleared his throat.

"You must be Roy Mustang. Hello, I'm Dr. Drake. Follow me and I'll take you to see Mr. Elric. But we must be quiet, for he is resting right now." Dr. Drake said. Mustang nodded impatiently, before he followed Dr. Drake to the room.

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><p>Roy rushed into the room, nearly knocking over the poor doctor. He stood over Ed's bed and studied his condition. The boy's face was pale and he had large bruises under his eyes. Half of his face was covered by a plastic mask that fogged up as the boy breathed. The hospital sheets were pulled up to his chest, but it did little to hide the wires that connected him to a large respirator.<p>

"When you brought him here, his lungs weren't working properly. It's a miracle he survived that long. So we had to hook him up to this. We don't know how long he'll need it. He might even have permaneant lung damage. It's hard to tell." The doctor explained.

"He can be let out of the hospital after a few days of observation. Does he have any place to go?" Dr. Drake asked. Roy thought for a moment. There were the military dorms, but Al wouldn't be there to watch over Ed. He was currently in Resembool for a few weeks. He couldn't go to Resembool, the distance was too great for someone in his condition. Roy sighed.

"Yeah. He'll stay at my place." Roy said. The doctor nodded. He went over Ed's condition and how Roy would have to take care of him. Roy payed strict attention.

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><p>"We'll take him off the respirator if he shows any improvement before he's released. If that happens, make sure you keep a close eye on him to make sure he's breathing properly." The doctor warned. Roy nodded. Finally Dr. Drake left the room.<p>

Roy pulled up a chair and sat down beside Ed's bed. Subconsciously, he leaned over the boy and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. He watched the boy's steady breathing.

It was amazing how much comfort it gave him to be able to see Ed breathing. It was a sign of life. A sign that Ed would still pull through this. Ed was strong, the strongest person he knew. But even the strongest people needed someone to lean on, to trust and depend on. Roy would make sure he could be that person for Ed. Roy would be there to pick him back up when he fell. Roy would protect him when he couldn't do it himself.

He sighed as he slumped down into the chair. He could feel his eyes start to droop and he leaned his head forward until it rested on his arms atop the bed next to Ed. He soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p><em>It was dark. That's all he could see. Complete darkness. Ed shivered. He felt cold and sore all over. He tried to cry out for someone. Anyone. But as he opened his mouth, he felt the air leave him. His lungs burned painfully and he clutched his chest. Why couldn't he breathe?! He gasped desperately for air, but still his lungs refused to work. Then, there was a bright light, and he could here someone talking to him. He reached out a hands, grasping for the light. The light grew brighter, and brighter until-<em>

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><p>Ed's eyes whipped open and he sat up, gasping for breath. His eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for anything familiar. The walls were white and he was sitting on a soft bed. He sighed. Of course. He was in a hospital. <em>AGAIN!<em> His eyes finally landed on the figure at the edge of his bed. He could see nothing but a large mess of black hair. He sighed in exasperation. Of all the people he had to be stuck with, it had to be _him?!_ He leaned forward and gently poked Roy's shoulder. Roy groaned slightly but refused to wake up. Ed growled in frustration. He went to sit forward more when he felt a tug at his face. He looked down. Over half of his face was a plastic mask. Ed glared at it as he forcefully ripped it off. He leaned forward some more and rested his head next to Roy's. He grinned widely and took a deep breath.

"HEY MUSTANG!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Roy jumped five feet in the air, giving off a little shriek that didn't exactly sound very manly. Ed stifled a laugh. Roy blinked wearily. As soon as his obsidian eyes rested on Ed, he became fully alert.

"Ed, how are you feeling?" He asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern. Ed raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fine, but what ha-" He was cut off as a violent fit of coughing racked through his small frame. Roy was by his side instantly.

"Ed?!" He hesitated slightly, unsure of what he should do to help the boy. He placed his hand on Ed's back. He thumped him on the back. Ed's coughing stopped, leaving him gasping for air. Roy panicked when he realized Ed's gasping wasn't stopping. He looked around frantically until he found the discarded oxygen mask. He hurriedly strapped it back onto Ed's face. Ed breathed in deeply, grimacing as his lungs burned slightly. Then he looked up at Roy.

"What I was trying to say, was why am I here? What happened?" He asked. Roy froze. His brain raced to find some kind of explanation. He couldn't remember? What did that mean? Would Ed get his memory back? Did he remember _any_ of it? He drew in a long breath.

"Ed, how much do you remember before now?" He asked slowly. Ed paused for a moment. Then he looked back at Roy.

"All I remember is darkness. And it was extremely cold." He said. Roy sighed. Well, this made things a lot more complicated.

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><p><em><strong>So, this chapter wasn't as good as the last one. I'll try to make the next one better! :) This will be a multichapter story, so stay tuned! :D<strong>_

_**Dang, I've got a lot of stories going on at once! I'll try to update this and the others regularily, but there are no guarantees. If you have any ideas for the story, please review or PM me! :D**_


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